Antidetonant



Patented Mar. 23, 1943 AN TIDETONAN T Albert B. Doran, BrentwoodHeights, CaliL, as-

signor, by direct and mesne assignments, to Dorex, Inc., Reno, Nev., acorporation of Nevada UNITED No Drawing. Application April 12. 1939,

Serial No. 267,452

8 Claims.

This invention relates to antl-detonants, and more particularly toanti-detonants adapted to suppress detonation in internal combustionengines.

Various metallo-organic compounds having anti-detonant properties, suchas tetra-ethyl lead, have been proposed for addition to fuel forinternal combustion engines to suppress fuel knock and/or to permitoperation of the engine at higher and more efficient compression ratios.The efiicacy of such anti-detonants is susceptible of precisemeasurement by methods well known in the art and maybe expressed as theincrease in knock rating obtained by adding a given quantity of metal inthe form of metal compounds to the fuel.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved class ofanti-detonants exhibiting high anti-knock properties and adapted to verysubstantially increase the knock rating of fuel to which they may beadded.

I It is a further object of the present invention to provide improvedfuel comprising such antidetonant.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a class ofmetallo-organic compounds characterized by the improved effectiveness asanti-detonants'of the metal as contained in such compounds.

I have found that particularly advantageous anti-detonant properties aredisplayed by metallic salts of unsaturated carboxylic acids, prefer-.The more soluble salts may be directly dissolved in the gasoline orother fuel while compounds of more limited solubility may be dispersedin the fuel. The fuels thus treated may be employed in the conventionaltype carburetor in which the salts are atomized and dispersed in the airalong with the less volatile portions of the fuel or the anti-knockcompound, preferably admixed with fuel, may be injected into the intakemanifold or into the combustion chamber of the engine.

Among the advantages accruing to the use of (CH2=CHCOOH) or propiolicacid (CHECCOOH) may be converted into metallic salts. I use salts ofmetals adapted to suppress detonation such as tin, lead, zinc, cadmium,mercury, antimony and bismuth. Such propiolate and acrylate salts formvery 'efiective anti-detonants and constitute a preferred class ofunsaturated salts. Typical compounds of this type are mercuric acrylate(CH2=CHCOO)2Hg and zinc propiolate (HCECCOO) 2Zn.

.I prefer to use acids containing less than five carbon atoms, or atleast not more than this number, since I find that not only dothe-higher molecular weight compounds give less anti-detonant efiect pergram of compound due to the weight of the associated acid, but also inmany instances their'efliciency, based on a given weight of metal, ismuch less.

The salts may be prepared by various conventional methods, such as thereaction of the acid on the hydroxide 'or oxide of the metal. In someinstances I find it advantageous to prepare the of a salt of anunsaturated organic acid having not more than five carbon atoms and ametal selected from the group consisting of tin, lead, zinc, cadmium,mercury, antimony, and'bismuth.

.2. A process for decreasing the detonatin characteristics of a gasolinetype fuel, comprising: adding to said fuel a salt of an unsaturatedorganic acid having not more than five carbon atoms and ametal selectedfrom the group consisting of tin, lead, zinc, cadmium, mercury, antimonyand bismuth.

3. As a fuel for internal combustion engines, a mixture comprisinggasoline and a small amount of a salt of an unsaturated carboxylic acidhaving not more than five carbon atoms and a metal selected from thegroup consisting of tin, lead, zinc, cadmium, mercury, antimony, andbismuth.

4. As a fuel for internal combustion engines, a mixture comprisinggasoline and a small amount of a salt of acrylic acid and a metalselected' from the group consisting of tin, lead, zinc, cadmium,mercury, antimony, and bismuth.

5. As a fuel for internal combustion engines, a

mixture comprising gasoline and a small amount of a salt of propiolicacid and a metal selected from the group consisting of tin, lead, zinc,cadmium, mercury, antimony, and bismuth.

6. As a fuel for internal combustion engines, a mixture comprisinggasoline arid a small amount of mercuric acrylate.

7. As a fuel for internal combustion engines, a mixture comprisinggasoline and a small amount of zinc propiolate.

8. As a fuel for internal combustion engines, a mixture comprisinggasoline and a small amount of lead propiolate.

ALBERT B. DORAN.

